


A Lion & A Snake

by beargirl1393



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bullying, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-12
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-19 06:56:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/880783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beargirl1393/pseuds/beargirl1393
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if, when Sirius ran away, he ended up in Spinner's End and discovered that his enemy, Severus Snape, isn't the Dark, Death Eater wannabe that he thought he was. <br/>What happens when Severus begins to see a new side of one of his tormentors?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New First Impression

**Author's Note:**

> This is me trying to get back into writing Harry Potter fics.  
> Also, look at the tags before you read. Severus' parents are horrible to him, so be warned that there are mentions of child abuse and neglect of a minor.

Sirius stormed out of the house, not looking back as he mother continued to scream obscenities after him. He was done, completely and totally done. He could not spend another day in that house, with his harpy of a mother.

 _I’ll go to the Potters’,_ Sirius thought, checking the pockets of his muggle jeans to ensure that he had everything. He had packed most of his things in his trunk, with the help of an undetectable expansion charm, and then he shrunk it. It and his shrunken broomstick were all he needed. His wand was in his pocket, and he was on his way to where he left his bike. _I’ll ride over. Now that I’m out of the house, the Ministry will know if I do any magic. James’ dad can take me to Gringotts to file the papers to become emancipated, and I’ll still be able to withdraw from my trust vault._

So occupied with his thoughts was Sirius that he didn’t notice that, once he had started his bike and taken off, he was going the wrong way. He had never driven to the Potters’ before, usually flooing or apparating with Mr. Potter. Everything looked different, and he had never bothered to ask for directions.

* * *

 

Two hours later, Sirius stopped the bike and looked around. There was no denying it; he was lost.

The dingy industrial town he was in looked nothing like James’ hometown, nor did he see any of the landmarks he would recognize from around Potter Manor. Looking around, Sirius noticed a sign that read ‘Spinner’s End’.

 _That must be where I am,_ Sirius thought, looking around, _but how the bloody hell do I get from here to James’ house?_

Before he could contemplate that further, loud voices from the ramshackle shack directly across the road from him caught his attention.

“ _Yer a worthless waste o’ space,”_ a man bellowed drunkenly, followed by the sound of someone crying out in pain. “ _I told ya ta stop all that freaky magic nonsense, but did you listen? Well, did you boy?”_

Sirius had crept closer, curious and more than a little concerned, and he about jumped when a familiar voice, hoarse and broken, said, _“No sir.”_

 _“Tha’s right, ye disgraceful brat,”_ the man spat, and Sirius was finally close enough to peer through a window. He had to look, as there was no way that the boy who screamed in such agony was Severus Snape.

Sirius’ heart dropped as he took in the scene. Snape was on the floor of the shack, his shirt off and his back to Sirius. He could count each of the other boy’s ribs, and couldn’t even begin to attempt that feat with the scars littering his back. There were several bleeding wounds covering more scars. A man (a Muggle most likely considering how he was speaking of magic) was standing over Snape, a beer bottle in one hand, a belt in the other. As Sirius watched, the man lashed out with the belt again, striking Snape in the center of his back, directly across three open, bleeding wounds. Sirius could see the tension in the other boy’s frame, knowing he was likely biting his lip until it bled to stop from crying out again. Sirius watched, horrified, as the Muggle man (who was apparently Snape’s father) beat his son to the point of collapse, all the while making snide comments.

  _And it’s all because he’s a wizard,_ Sirius thought, feeling sick. _The bastard is beating him because Snape’s a wizard. And this isn’t the first time either._ For the first time, Sirius began to wonder if his taunting of Snape was as justified as he previously thought.

Eventually, the muggle seemed to tire and wandered off, hollering over his shoulder that Snape should clean the floor and the belt or else he’d have a similar experience in the morning. Snape didn’t move at first, causing Sirius to worry that the other boy had passed out, but then Snape began to move. Sirius winced, knowing that Snape had to be in agony, but the other boy seemed far too used to this. He watched as Snape picked up his ratty t-shirt (one Sirius remembered mocking at school and now caused him to wonder if Snape had any better) and used it to wipe the belt clean.

Sirius looked at the floor, at the puddles of congealing blood, and knew that it would take a lot of scrubbing to get the stains out. He didn’t think that Snape was strong enough to do it right now, and was afraid of what would happen if the other boy didn’t manage to clean it to the muggle’s standards.

Straightening from his crouch by the window, Sirius moved towards the door. It wasn’t locked, allowing him to slip in silently. He managed three steps before Snape turned to face him, black eyes widening when they saw the intruder.

“Black?” Snape’s hoarse voice carried none of it’s usually malice. It was hoarse and broken, with a thread of defeat and resignation running through it that Sirius had never heard before. “Have I finally died and went to Hell?”

“No!” Sirius hissed, startled. Did the other boy want to die? “You’re alive, although I don’t know how. Why did that muggle beat you like that?”

Snape shrugged, hissing in pain. “I went to Hogwarts. That was my punishment for going.”

“You get punished for going to school?” Sirius asked, disbelieving. _Either Snape has gone round the bend or his dad did._

“My father despises magic,” Snape explained, his eyes on his belt. He still believed that none of this was real, that this was some odd dream occurring after he passed out after his father’s beating. “He didn’t know my mother was a witch when he slept with her. She told him after, when they married.”

“She didn’t think to mention it before that?” Sirius asked.

“She only told him then because there was a chance I would be a wizard,” Snape said, pushing a strand of his long dark hair out of his equally dark eyes. “She had hoped I wouldn’t have magic. That was the second way I disappointed her.”

“The second way?” Sirius asked, still slightly stunned. _His mother is a witch, married to a magic-hating muggle, and she hated that her son had magic?_

“I was conceived,” Snape said, his tone so matter of fact that Sirius had to conceal a wince. “I was a mistake; they didn’t want children.”

“Where’s your mum now?” Sirius asked, changing the topic. No one should be able to speak so matter of factly about their parents not wanting them.

“Working,” Snape said. “Black, as interesting as talking to a hallucination is, I need to clean the floor. Dream or not, I don’t need another beating so soon after this one. I need at least a few days to recover.”

“Hallucination?” Sirius repeated dumbly. Then the rest of the sentence sunk in. _Even if he cleans the floor, he’s sure he’ll get another beating again, sooner or later._ “Doesn’t your mum say anything about this?”

“Why would she?” Snape asked, sounding confused. “I’m not worth risking a beating for. As you and your friends have pointed out many times before, I’m worthless, lower than pond scum. What does it matter if Snivellus has to endure his father’s belt every other day? He deserves it for being born and being born a wizard.”

Sirius gaped, lips parting in shock as Snape spoke. The entire time, his voice didn’t waiver, nor did he seem sarcastic. He actually believed that he deserved this. “Snape, no one deserves this.”

“I do, evidently,” Snape replied, turning away, presumably to go to the kitchen to get cleaning supplies. “If I didn’t deserve this, then I wouldn’t be forced to endure it. I wouldn’t be forced to endure you and your friends making my life hell at the one place I believed I would have been safe.”

Sirius said nothing, watching the other boy stiffly collect his supplies and bring them back, setting to work almost immediately. Snape was clearly in pain, yet he didn’t stop cleaning.

 _Of course he won’t stop,_ Sirius thought angrily. _That muggle bastard would beat him again if he didn’t clean this up. He’s exhausted and beaten and school just ended. If this is how the first day of summer is going for him, he won’t make it to September 1 st._


	2. You're Not Such An Arse

Sirius watched Snape cleaning for five minutes before he couldn’t take it anymore. He bent and took the rag out of the other boy’s hand, holding up a hand to stop his protests.

“You’re hurt,” Sirius said, glancing from Snape’s bleeding back to the floor. “Even I’m not cruel enough to make you work in this state.”

“I am perfectly capable of cleaning the floor Black,” Snape said, scowling. “I’ve done this countless times before.”

Sirius shuddered at the mention, not even wanting to consider how many other times an occasion like the one he had just witnessed had occurred before shaking his head. “Look, do you have a first aid kit? I’m no healer, but you’ll get sick if you don’t take care of that back. Get something to clean it, and I’ll help you after I do this.”

Snape’s eyes narrowed and Sirius fought to keep from rolling his own. Why was the other boy being so stubborn? He was _hurt_ ; didn’t the stubborn fool realize that?

“What is in it for you Black?” Snape asked, looking suspiciously at Sirius. “Dream, hallucination, whatever this is, why should you want to help me? Why would you care about Snivellus Greasy?”

“You aren’t hallucinating, and I’m not going to make fun of you,” Sirius said. He knew that Snape had every right to be suspicious of him, but it was annoying. He just wanted to help, couldn’t Snape see that?

“Then how and why are you here?” Snape demanded. “And why in Merlin’s name are you being so nice to me?”

“I left my parents’ house, I was on my way to James’ but I got lost. I’ve never driven there before,” Sirius explained, kneeling down to continue where Snape had left off cleaning. “I ended up across the street, heard your father shouting, and came to investigate. Why has no one called the Aurors on him?”

“This is a muggle neighborhood, there are no Aurors,” Snape said, watching as Sirius finished mopping up his blood. “Muggles have police officers, and no one around here would bother calling them on my father. Everyone knows he’s a drunken bum who will swing at anyone when he’s in his cups. They wouldn’t bother calling the police on him, no matter what they hear.”

Sirius just shook his head before tossing the rag back into the bucket and standing up, offering Snape his hand. The other boy looked at it for a moment, before accepting it. His back hurt and he was too tired to examine Black’s motives right now.

“Where are you staying?” Snape asked.

Sirius looked at him as he picked up the bucket. “I was going to James’, like I said, but I don’t know how to get there from here. Do you have an owl?”

“No,” Snape said, shaking his head. “We are barely able to afford my school supplies each year, never mind anything extra.”

“Oh,” Sirius said, grateful that he had an excuse to turn away so Snape couldn’t see the guilt on his face. _We taunted him about his clothes and he really couldn’t afford better._

“Black, you are far too quiet,” Snape said from behind him, causing Sirius to whirl around. Snape was standing in the doorway, watching him with an inscrutable expression.

“What?” Sirius asked dumbly.

“You are far too quiet,” Snape repeated. “Any time that I have seen you, you are always chattering about something. You quiet is more worrying than you chattering annoyingly. And I don’t need your pity.” That last was said rather sharply.

“I…I’m just sorry Snape,” Sirius said, looking away from Snape and focusing on the now empty bucket.

“For what?” Snape asked sharply, causing Sirius to look up at him. “I may not have started this ridiculous feud, but I haven’t simply sat passively. I’ve given as good as I’ve gotten.”

“Yeah, but…”

“You pity me because of all of this?” Snape asked, gesturing around him and wincing when his back protested. “Well, don’t. Didn’t you tell me that your mother disowned you?”

“She never beat me,” Sirius protested, because although Walburga Black was a horrible woman, she had never laid a hand on either of her children.

“But she neglected you,” Snape said perceptively. “And that’s just as bad.”

Sirius nodded, not up for discussing his mother with his former enemy. “Where’s the first aid kit? You need to put potions on those cuts.”

“We don’t have one, magical or muggle,” Snape said. He turned, indicating that Sirius should follow, and led the way to the bathroom. He rummaged in the cupboard for a moment before withdrawing a rag and a bottle from it. He doused the rag with the contents of the bottle and handed the rag to Sirius. “The peroxide will disinfect the cuts.”

Sirius hadn’t heard of peroxide before, but he shrugged and decided to trust the Slytherin in this instance. He was still turning over that fact in his head as he pressed the cloth to the largest of the cuts. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the other boy hissed in pain.

“What?” Sirius asked, dropping the rag.

“It stings,” Snape said through gritted teeth. “It stings while it disinfects. It’s fine, just get it over with.”

Sirius picked the rag back up and cautiously began to clean out the cuts. Snape continued to let out hisses occasionally, and Sirius worried that he was doing more harm than good, but finally it was done.

“We still have to wrap the wounds,” Sirius said, dropping the rag into the sink.

“Use that,” Snape said, gesturing to the ratty shirt he had used to clean the belt. “There should be scissors or something in the cabinet.”

Sirius blinked, then shrugged. _His clothes,_ Sirius thought, picking up the shirt and grabbing the scissors from the cabinet. “Don’t you have bandages somewhere?”

“Black, any money my parents make is taken by my father to be drunk or gambled away. The little left over goes to food and bills,” Snape snapped. “If I need bandages, I sacrifice one of my oldest shirts and reuse the strips as much as I can. Where do you think the rags came from? The others are too worn to be of any use.”

“Right,” Sirius said, slightly stunned. His childhood hadn’t been the best, but he had never worried about food, clothes, or medicine if he was sick.

“You still never answered my question,” Snape said as Sirius wrapped the strips of shirt around his torso.

“What question?” Sirius asked, focusing on what he was doing. The extent of his medical knowledge came from what he remembered Madame Pomfrey doing to Remus when he ended up in the Hospital Wing after the full moon, so he needed to concentrate.

“Where are you staying?” Snape replied, repeating his earlier question. Really, he didn’t know why he was bothering, but Black wasn’t acting like as much of an arse as he did at Hogwarts, so he wouldn’t complain.

“Um, I don’t know,” Sirius admitted sheepishly. “I thought I’d be at James’ by now; I didn’t plan on going the wrong way.”

“I cannot believe I’m saying this, but you can stay here tonight,” Snape said, causing Sirius to gape at him. “What?” the teen snapped. “You helped me, unbelievable as that is, and so I should return the favor.”

“Alright,” Sirius said slowly, “But, where will I stay?”

“My room?” Snape said. “Father is too drunk and Mother will be too tired to bother me, and there is really nowhere else you can go.”

“Alright,” Sirius said again, shrugging. “I shared a bed with James once, before his parents had set up the guest room. Not much different.”

“Except you and Potter are friends,” Snape said dryly.

“You’re not as much of an arse as I thought you were,” Sirius said, tying off the last bandage and stepping back.

“His praise indeed,” Snape said, smirking, before leading Sirius to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a question on ff.net about this, and about whether this would end up slash or not. I currently have no idea whether it will be slash or not, as I haven't planned that far ahead, so if you have an opinion I'd be happy to hear it. Whether or not they end up together, there will be little to no smut.


	3. Talks & Chores

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. It's been very hot here, and I don't have AC, so most of my writing is done early in the morning or late at night. Also, I'm still undecided whether this should stay gen or if there should be slash, so I would like to hear your thoughts.

Sirius followed Snape to his room, noticing that the other boy made very little noise when he walked, and he seemed to listen intently as he passed the one closed door.

"He's likely passed out by now," Snape whispered, slipping into the room with an open door and closing the door after Sirius entered. Looking around, he saw Snape's school trunk sitting beside a beat up chest of drawers. The twin bed was covered in blue sheets, faded but clean. There was an old-looking desk sitting underneath the window.

He turned away from his inspection of the street outside the window when he heard Severus groan. He saw the other boy had removed his trousers and was rummaging in one of the drawers to find a nightshirt. Slipping it on, however, had proven painful.

"Do you need help?" Sirius asked awkwardly. Remus was sometimes in too much pain after the full moon to put his pajamas on and Sirius or James would help him, but he hadn't really expected to ever offer to help Snape with such a thing.

"No," Snape snapped quietly, and Sirius held up his hands. Clearly, the other boy still had his pride and was touchy about appearing weak. "I'm guessing you have a trunk, or a bag or something?"

Sirius nodded, patting his pocket.

"You will have to wait until my mother gets back before you can resize it, otherwise there will be an owl from the Ministry," Snape said, turning down the sheets. The unspoken _and I'll get beat if he sees anything wizard-like_ seemed very loud to Sirius. "You can borrow some of my things until then."

Sirius nodded, taking the nightshirt Snape offered and changing while the other boy slipped into the bed, lying on his side facing the window. He was out by the time Sirius joined him.

* * *

The next morning, Sirius woke up early, feeling Snape slip from the bed. Opening his eyes, he saw the other boy gathering up his bathroom things before quietly leaving the room. He returned fifteen minutes later, his wet hair and change of clothes indicating that he had showered.

"Why're you up so early?" Sirius asked. According to his watch, it was barely seven in the morning.

"I have to make breakfast before Mother leaves and get started on my chores," Snape said, pulling his long hair back from his face with a hair tie. "Stay up here. You can unshrink your trunk now that Mother is here. Try to make as little noise as possible."

Sirius nodded, saying nothing as Severus left the room. He got up and grabbed his wand, using it to unshrink his trunk and before going back to bed. Seven was far too early to be awake.

He woke up to Snape prodding him an hour later. "Wake up Black."

"Wha'?" Sirius slurred, blinking himself awake.

"Wake up," Snape repeated, poking him again. "My mother has left for work and Father is still passed out, meaning you can come down for breakfast before you find a way to get to Potter's."

Sirius followed Snape back to the kitchen and found two plates with small portions of scrambled eggs and a piece of bread each. They ate in silence, Sirius collecting the dishes before Snape could to wash them.

"How do you expect to find your way to Potter's?" Snape asked, watching him as he did the dishes.

"I don't know," Sirius said, frowning. "Would your dad notice if you were gone for a few hours?" He winced, but before he could take it back Snape answered him.

"He won't notice, as long as I've completed my chores for the day," Snape said, turning to look at a piece of paper taped to the fridge. "According to Mother, I have to sweep and scrub the kitchen, clean the bottles off the porch, and weed her herb garden. That will not take more than three hours."

"Three hours to do all of that?" Sirius asked, nonplussed. He knew it would take him much longer to do that, but apparently Snape was different.

"Yes," Snape said, nodding. "Now, why does it matter if Father knows where I am?"

"Because I'm driving to the Leaky Cauldron," Sirius said, finishing the dishes and sitting back down. "I have to go to Gringotts, to file my papers for my emancipation, and I want to send an owl to James to ask if I can still go to Potter Manor. You could come too, if you want." In truth, he worried that Snape's father would beat Snape again, and he didn't want that to happen.

"You want me to go with you?" Snape asked, disbelieving. "Did you recently hit your head Black?"

"No, why?" Sirius asked.

"You would have me believe that you want to spend more time in the company of the greasy git?" Snape snorted, pushing a strand of his long, black hair out of his eyes.

"I told you, you aren't as much of an arse as I thought you were," Sirius said. "I don't think you're half as bad as I thought. You aren't the Dark Death Eater I thought you were."

"Thank you very much Black," Snape drawled sarcastically, turning and getting out the cleaning supplies. "Make yourself scarce until I finish this, then I'll ensure you don't get lost on your way to the Leaky Cauldron."

"I could help," Sirius offered. "Mum had a garden out back, and she had me working in it since I was a kid."

"You can tell the difference between herbs and weeds?" Snape asked, and when Sirius nodded he sighed. "Ok Black. Take care of the garden while I clean in here and sweep off the porch."

Sirius nodded again, and headed out back. He would be on his way to Gringotts soon, and he would have fun browsing around the Alley while he waited for James to owl him back. Maybe he'd be able to get Snape to go into Zonko's. And maybe the other plan slowly growing in the back of his mind would come to fruition. He just needed James' approval, as well as Snape's.


	4. Arguments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I had this chapter ready to post yesterday, but I've been having computer problems. Thankfully, it's fixed now, so enjoy the new chapter :)  
> Also, based on the feedback I've gotten on FF.net, this story will stay gen.

“You are hopeless,” Snape said as Sirius parked the bike outside the Leaky Cauldron. “How do you manage to find your way around Hogwarts without getting lost?”

“I have a map,” Sirius said, shrugging and moving towards the door. “Coming Snape?”

“There is little point in me remaining here, and as I have no alternative means of transportation, I guess I have to go with you,” Snape said, slightly sarcastically, and he walked ahead of Sirius, slipping through the door and into the Leaky Cauldron before Sirius could do more than blink. Shrugging, he followed after the other boy.

Snape had his wand out and was tapping the bricks to get into the Alley when Sirius caught up with him. Neither said anything as the wall reformed, becoming a gateway into wizard London. Snape raised one eyebrow after the bricks finished moving, silently asking where Sirius planned on going first.

“The public owlery,” Sirius said, setting off, Snape keeping pace at his side. “I have enough to send a message to James, and he’ll use his owl to send the reply. We can go to Gringotts while we wait.”

“It’s your party Black,” Snape said, shrugging.

“You could call me Sirius, you know,” Sirius said, looking sideways at the other boy. “Every time I hear my last name, I expect to see McGonagall coming after me.”

Snape snorted, looking mildly amused. “Guilty conscience Black?” he asked sardonically before sighing. “Fine, I will endeavor to address you by your given name, as long as you attempt the same.”

“Fine,” Sirius said, “But do you need to talk like a bloody dictionary? A simple ‘Yes, and you can call me Severus’ would do.”

“Not as impressive,” Severus replied, opening the door of the public owlery and ducking inside, staying by the door while Sirius approached the counter and sent his letter. “Gringotts next?”

Sirius bit his lip, then shook his head. “Let’s get ice cream at Fortescue’s first. I need to tell you something.”

Severus looked at him curiously but said nothing, silently following Sirius as the boy went to the ice cream parlor and ordered two cones, waiting until Sirius had returned to the table he had staked out to begin his interrogation.

“What is so important that you felt the need to sit and discuss it?” Severus asked, eyes narrowed.

Sirius hesitated briefly before sighing. “I asked James if you could come with me to his house.”

If it wasn’t so serious, Sirius thought that Severus’ expression would have been funny. The other boy’s eyes widened, and his lips slightly parted in his shock. His grip loosened slightly on his ice cream cone, and Sirius thought he might have dropped it if he hadn’t pulled himself together.

“Are you mad Black?” Severus hissed. “Why on Earth would Potter want me anywhere near him?”

“He’ll write back and ask me why I asked if you could come,” Sirius said, attempting to explain his train of thought. “And I’ll explain that your dad is a bastard and you aren’t the wannabe Death Eater scum we thought you were, and you can file for emancipation too, and then you wouldn’t have to go back there anymore.”

“And it’s that simple?” Severus asked, his black eyes flashing. “Consider what would happen if I go through with your mad plan, file for emancipation, and get thrown out on my arse by Potter because he doesn’t want _Snivellus_ anywhere near him. Where would I go then Black? Back to my parents’ house? As you’ve no doubt seen, they’re rather keen to be shot of me. The only reason they keep me around is to do housework and provide a punching bag when my father is in his cups.”

Sirius winced. “James won’t do that.” _At least I hope he won’t._ “And if he did…” Sirius trailed off, unsure of what they would do if James did react badly to Severus.

“No more mad plans?” Severus asked, one eyebrow rising sardonically.

Sirius flushed. “You try coming up with something better then,” he snapped, annoyed. All he wanted to do was help; couldn’t the stubborn Slytherin see that?

“Very well,” Severus said, leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest, “We will go to Gringotts so you can file your paperwork and be shot of your insane mother, then when Potter owls you back simply tell him that you were having a laugh. We will go back to Spinner’s End so you can collect your things and then you can apparate to Potter’s house.”

“And leave you to be beaten bloody, worked like a house elf, and half-starved?” Sirius asked incredulously. “Where is your self-preservation?”

“Apparently it is alive and well, as I am not foolish enough to put my reputation in the hands of one of the boys who have made my school life hell,” Severus snapped, incensed. _Will the little fool just drop it already? There is nothing he can do. What does he care anyway?_ “If I had a choice, you wouldn’t know, but I don’t have that choice, so all I can do is hope that for once in your life you’ll keep your mouth shut and just _drop it!_ ” Severus had said all this quietly, yet the intensity behind the words made Sirius feel as if the other boy had shouted.

“I won’t just ‘drop it’ Severus,” Sirius said, leaning forward and placing his palms flat on the table. “Your dad is a bastard and it doesn’t seem like your mum is much better, and I won’t let you wallow there until you’re finally old enough to use magic legally and end up in Azkaban for hexing a muggle.”

“I am not that foolish Black,” Severus said, scowling.

“Sirius,” Sirius reminded him. “And anyway, have I made fun of you yet? I thought you were the prince of Slytherin, sly and cunning and just waiting until you could join Voldemort and be a Death Eater. Everything my parents wanted me to be, I saw reflected in you. But you aren’t like that! If you were, I have no doubt that your father would be dead. Restrictions or no, I know you know at least three poisons you could use on him. But you haven’t!”

“I have no interest in going to Azkaban,” Severus said, “My father isn’t worth it. And why the hell do you care anyway? You hated me for five years. Why do you care what happens to me now?”

“Because no one deserves to be treated like that,” Sirius said, stubbornly determined to help the other boy. “And because you could have left me to freeze last night, but you let me stay, even though your parents wouldn’t have been pleased. You could have kicked me out at sunup this morning, but you didn’t. You fed me breakfast and showed me how to get to the Leaky Cauldron without losing my way half a dozen times along the way. You’ve been _nice_ Severus, and I want to return the favor.”

Severus opened his mouth to retort, likely another argument, but he didn’t get the chance. James’ owl landed on the table in front of Sirius, a letter clamped in it’s beak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will James say?


	5. The Letter

Sirius stroked the feathers on the bird’s head as he took the letter from it. The owl hooted, flying up to perch on Sirius’ shoulder. He unrolled the parchment, Severus watching him.

**Pads,**

**Good for you! It’s about time you got away from them. Dad and Mum said it’s fine, by the way. They told you before you were welcome here anytime, and that includes now. After you get your papers filed, come over. You know how to apparate, right? If not, send a message back and Dad will come pick you up.**

**Ha, you are funny though. Why would you want _Snape,_ of all people, to come to my house? Did you crash your bike and hit your head? You hate Snape, remember? On the train ride home you said that if he didn’t have the Mark by the time we went back to school, you’d eat your hat. He’s probably hanging out with his little Death Eater pals and talking about all the ways they’re gonna torture muggles. And you want him to come here? Are you feeling alright?**

**See you soon,**

**Prongs**

Sirius’ eyes flicked from Severus to the letter. “He didn’t say you couldn’t come,” Sirius said, attempting a bright tone and failing. James hadn’t said that Severus couldn’t come, but he also hadn’t invited him. He knew James couldn’t know that he was starting to consider Severus a friend, although not as close as James or Remus or Peter.

“Oh really?” Severus asked dryly, “And what was the premise for the invitation? See how many ways you can hex the Greasy Git before his parents find out?”

“No,” Sirius said, but he still didn’t elaborate.

“He doesn’t believe that you are serious?” Severus queried, and Sirius nodded, defeated. “Excellent.”

Sirius’ head snapped up. “Excellent?” he repeated, dumbfounded.

“Yes,” Severus said, wiping his fingers on a napkin. “You can go to Gringotts, then we will return to Spinner’s End. You will collect your belongings and then leave for Potter’s. He will not ask, and you will not say, why you even joked about me accompanying you. The end.”

“That’s it?” Sirius asked, irrationally angry. “You’ll go back there, knowing that your father will beat you, instead of trusting me and James?”

Severus’ face was blank as he replied, “I have no reason to trust you Black, or have you forgotten?”

Sirius slumped back in his seat. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He shouldn’t have even thought about Snape until school started again, and then it would be about what pranks to play. Snape wasn’t supposed to have an abusive dad and (possibly) mother. He wasn’t supposed to get beaten bloody for going to Hogwarts.

He was supposed to be the consummate Slytherin, sly and sneaky and cunning, doing anything to protect his arse. He wasn’t supposed to pick returning to his home instead of trusting Sirius and going to James’. But, Sirius also could see that the other boy was serious. Short of kidnapping him (and he’d never tried apparating, let alone taking someone with him) there wasn’t much he could do.

“Severus…” Sirius started, trying to think of something, anything, to get Severus to agree to go with him.

The other boy ignored him, standing and tossing his napkin in the trash. “To Gringotts?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Sirius sighed but nodded, tossing his garbage and following the Slytherin through the Alley. “To Gringotts.”

The trip was relatively quick, the goblins taking care of everything more efficiently than a wizard could hope to. Within the hour, Sirius was no longer considered a minor in the eyes of the wizarding world, and his parents no longer controlled him.

The drive back to Spinner’s End was made in silence, Sirius tense and Severus brooding. When they pulled up across the street from Severus’ house, the Slytherin dismounted in silence, crossing the street and opening the door, peering inside. He turned back to the street, nodding his head before disappearing inside. Sirius took this to mean that the coast was clear and followed the Slytherin.

Severus was waiting for him by the stairs, turning and heading for his room without looking back once Sirius was inside. His plan was simple: Get Black out of his house before either of his parents noticed or before the other boy saw something else to add to his list of blackmail material.

Sirius followed, trying to think of a reason Severus would agree to his plan. The Slytherin had made up his mind, and Sirius doubted he’d have much luck trying to change it. He wasn’t an idiot; he knew that he couldn’t force Severus to leave. But it would be so much easier.


	6. Not An Update

I know it has been a while since I updated this or any of my other fics, and I apologize for that. I've been having some personal problems, so I haven't had much time to write. I'll try to have a new chapter up before New Year's if I can. Sorry again. This was mostly just to let you know I didn't abandon any of my fics, that they all will be completed. It will just take longer than it usually does.


	7. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long. I've had some personal problems, but things are settling down a bit so I should hopefully be able to get back to all my stories.

When Sirius got to Severus’ room, he saw that the other boy was kneeling in front of his school trunk, taking out one of his textbooks and writing materials. “Summer homework,” he said shortly. “My father is out of the house, meaning I can do my homework without worrying that he will come in and try to burn everything related to magic.” It wouldn’t be the first time.

Sirius shook his head, going to sit on Severus’ bed while watching him rummage for what he needed. “You wouldn’t have to worry about that if you came with me,” he said, although he didn’t think that would convince Severus. “James’ parents would be happy that you’re doing your homework now instead of waiting until the end of summer.” Like he and James did. They usually spent most of the summer goofing around, doing their homework during the last week of vacation and only because it was necessary. They got good marks, they weren’t idiots after all, but that didn’t mean that they liked doing their homework when there were more interesting things to be doing.

“I am perfectly capable of managing as I am,” Severus said, not even looking away from the trunk. Black would leave soon, thankfully. He had sent Potter’s owl back with a message that he would need the elder Potter’s help apparating, so Severus had given him the name of the nearby park, describing it adequately so that there would be no trouble with either of them locating it.

“Severus, you can’t tell me that you don’t want to get out of here,” Sirius said, leaning back on the bed and folding his arms behind his head. “It’s not a trap or a prank. I promise. You can trust me.” _You couldn’t before but you can now, paranoid suspicious git,_ Sirius thought. There was a lot less venom implied in his thoughts. It was almost like how he thought of James sometimes, and he was his best mate.

“Do I wish to get out of here? Yes, of course I do,” Severus said, rolling his eyes and shutting his trunk once he had what he needed out of it. “Do I have a way to get out of here that I trust? No, I do not. Black, Sirius,” he corrected. “I have little reason to trust you. Perhaps as little reason as you have to trust me. I do not trust Potter further than I could throw him, and you are similar.” Not the same, he did trust the other boy a little after spending time with him without incident, but not enough. Not for something like this. “I have next year, and the year after, and then I never have to return here again. I will, hopefully, be able to get a scholarship to get my Potions Mastery. I have been planning for this for longer than I have known you.”

“But what if it doesn’t work out?” Sirius asked, sitting up and staring at Severus. “What if you don’t get a scholarship?” _What if your father pushes you too far and makes you do something you’ll regret? What if he goes too far and Severus Snape is dead by the time school starts again?_ “There are a lot of flaws in your plan Severus.”

“And there are flaws in your plan too,” Severus sighed, flipping through the book to the appropriate page and beginning to work. “I believe there are fewer flaws in my plan than there are in yours. I know of every eventuality, for the most part, of my plan. Your plan, however, I have no idea if it would work. I have no reason to believe that James Potter would change his opinion of me. Why would I risk being turned on the street?” He didn’t trust Potter any more than the other boy trusted him. “When the time comes, you can go meet Potter Sr. and leave me be.”

Sirius sighed, but he wasn’t sure what else he could say to change Severus’ mind. The Slytherin was stubborn, he had always known that, and he was determined to keep to his plan and ignore Sirius’. The Gryffindor wasn’t going to give up so easily however. He was just as stubborn as Severus, may even more so, and he wasn’t going to let the other boy suffer if he could help, no matter what their past was. Fighting further wasn’t a good idea at the moment, however, so Sirius just got out his own summer homework. Might as well get some of it done if he couldn’t do anything else. 

Instead of concentrating on his Potions essay, however, he was thinking of how he could convince Severus that there was less risk in leaving with Sirius to go to the Potter’s than there was in staying there and continuing with his plan. He worked his way through the essay, occasionally tossing advice to Severus on his Transfiguration essay and accepting Severus’ help with his Potion’s essay.  The other boy really was a genius with Potions, he hadn’t had much cause to appreciate it before.

Soon enough, both of their essays were done and it was time for Sirius to leave to go to the park. He packed his homework back in his trunk, shrinking it and putting it in his pocket. He had driven his motorcycle around to the alley behind Severus’ house earlier, and he shrunk it as well. Everything was packed away and Severus actually shook his hand when he was ready to leave, giving him directions to the park once more before closing the door behind him.

Sirius walked to the park, hands in the pockets of his muggle jeans. He saw James’ dad sitting on one of the benches, mostly out of sight. Sirius looked at the elder Auror, an idea coming to mind as he approached him. “Hey Mr. Potter. Before we go, I have something to ask you…”


	8. We Have To Help Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that it's been so long since my last update. I've been fairly busy and had a lot going on, so my writing has suffered. Also, writing Mr. Potter was more difficult than I had thought.

_Sirius walked to the park, hands in the pockets of his muggle jeans. He saw James’ dad sitting on one of the benches, mostly out of sight. Sirius looked at the elder Auror, an idea coming to mind as he approached him. “Hey Mr. Potter. Before we go, I have something to ask you…”_

Charlus Potter looked up from the paper he’d been reading, a muggle paper that he’d found on the bench. He had been quietly marveling on the way the muggle Prime Minister had handled the public’s reaction to an incident that he hadn’t been able to tell them the truth about, as it dealt with the wizarding world.

“Sirius, is something wrong?” he asked, looking over his son’s friend (and practically his adopted son) worriedly. Sirius looked worried, not an expression he was used to seeing on the former Black heir.

“Yeah,” Sirius said, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. “There’s this kid, he’s in the same year at Hogwarts as James and me. We used to think he was scum, a Slytherin through and through, future Death Eater in the making.”

“Being in Slytherin isn’t enough of a reason to arrest him, Sirius,” Charlus said seriously, shaking his head. “I know your family is rather Dark, but that doesn’t mean all Slytherins are, or that only Slytherins become Death Eaters.” He understood the teen’s attitude, he’d felt the same when he was that age, but his years working with the Aurors had shown him that there were Gryffindors who went Dark, as well as Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and yes, Slytherins. Slytherin simply seemed to be comprised completely of future Death Eaters because Voldemort’s followers had, in the beginning, been comprised of only Purebloods in his House, and their children were raised to follow in their footsteps, oftentimes not given a choice.

Sirius cut Charlus off before he could explain that though. “No, it’s not that. James and I, and Remus and Peter too, thought this guy was like them, but he’s not. He’s not a Death Eater.” _Not yet anyway_ , his mind added. _But if they make the right offer…_

“Then I’m afraid I don’t see the problem Sirius.” It was good that his son and his friends understood (much earlier than the elder Potter had, admittedly) that just because someone was a member of a certain House, that didn’t mean they were good or evil.

“He’s being abused,” Sirius said bluntly. “By his dad. The kids a halfblood. Mum’s a witch, dad’s a muggle, and the dad hates anything magic. He got beaten just for going to Hogwarts! But he won’t go to the Aurors, or the police.” He thought that was what Severus had called them. “I tried to get him to come with me, but…well…”

“He doesn’t trust you?” Charlus asked, sighing at Sirius’ nod. Unsurprising, given how Sirius and James had likely treated the boy. If they thought he was going to go Dark, they would have made his life hell. “And you want me to…?”

“Make him come with us,” Sirius said, as though it was obvious. “He can’t stay there, and he says he doesn’t trust me or James, but that can change. He’s already calling me by my first name, and I was only there for a day and a half.”

“Where would he stay, if he came with us?” Charlus asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn’t mind that Sirius had invited the boy without asking permission first (the former Black heir would know that neither Charlus nor his wife would turn away the child), but Sirius wasn’t thinking this through.

“Potter Manor?” Sirius asked, confused. Mr. and Mrs. Potter had taken him in, and Severus’ home life was much worse than Sirius’.

“Having him spend the summer with two boys who had tormented him throughout his Hogwarts career?” Charlus asked skeptically. It was a very Gryffindor plan, and on one hand he did approve, but he also was wise enough to know that unless there was proof that both James and Sirius wouldn’t bully him, then the Slytherin boy would never accept Sirius’ offer.

“I can show you everything that I saw,” Sirius said desperately. “Put the memories in a Pensieve and show them to the Wizengamot. Severus will have more, he can be a witness too. That horrible muggle that he lives with should rot in Azkaban.” Muggles never were sent to the wizard prison, but Sirius thought that an exception should be made. No one should treat a kid like that just for being magical.

“And if the boy is too proud?” Charlus asked. “If he doesn’t want to admit to what he sees as a weakness.” Child abuse was rarer in the wizarding world, but it still happened, regrettably. He had seen a few cases where the child felt that they were weak because they couldn’t fight off their abuser, because they hadn’t been able to stop it. He had a feeling that Sirius’ Slytherin ‘enemy’ would be of that sort.

Sirius’ shoulders slumped. “We can’t just do nothing! If we leave him there…two more years, and he’ll be ripe for the taking. You-Know-Who will recruit him with the promise to get rid of his muggle father and Severus will join him.” Even though he used to think that Severus would be a Death Eater, thinking about the dark haired boy taking the Mark now made him sick.

“What about his mother? Is she still alive?” Charlus questioned. If the boy’s mother was still alive, they could try to speak to her.

“She doesn’t care about Severus,” Sirius said, shaking his head and scowling. “She’s always working, and she knows what his dad is doing but doesn’t say anything. Severus thinks that she doesn’t like him because he was born!” No kid should be made to feel like that.

Charlus sighed. That was an all too common occurrence. Witches and wizards who left the magical world, for whatever reason, and married muggles, usually weren’t pleased when their children were magical. Talking to the woman would likely be unproductive. He would either be told to take the child and good riddance, or told to leave because she didn’t want the boy to leave. Without this boy, her husband’s abuse would likely fall on her, after all.

Charlus ran a hand through his hair, looking at the pleading teenager in front of him. “Is there a way for us to be able to talk to the boy without his parents knowing?” No need to get the boy in trouble if there was nothing they could do.

Sirius nodded. “At night, probably. His dad will be passed out drunk, and his mum will be working.”

Charlus nodded. “Very well. Tonight, we’ll pay a visit to the boy and see what he says.” He doubted the teen would want to stay with his former tormentors, but hopefully they would be able to think of something. He didn’t want to leave the boy in an abusive home any more than Sirius did.


	9. Thinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry that this chapter was so late. I've just been busy, and I haven't had much time to write. I'm going to try to get more regular updates out for all of my stories, and I do plan to finish all of them, but it might take awhile.

Severus was relieved when Sirius left without any further protests about Severus staying where he was. Admittedly, he did want to trust that the Black heir was telling the truth, that if he accompanied him to Potter Manor, everything would be fine, but Severus couldn’t trust him.

He would admit that, even though he didn’t start their feud, he’d given as good as he had gotten sometimes. Granted, he hadn’t done anything on the scale that they had, but that was only because he preferred subtler pranks.

Still, even though he knew that Black calling a truce in their feud would make Potter follow suit, Severus was wary of trusting them. He would rather that Black didn’t know at all, that no one knew what his father did to him. A small part of him thought that he should be able to stand up to his father by now. Tobias was heavier than him, true, but Severus had his magic. He should have taken care of his father long ago, but he never had. Years of being taught that he was a freak because of his magic meant that he was uncomfortable using it anywhere other than Hogwarts. There was also the thought that if he did use magic on his father, he would be sent to Azkaban (because if he ever gave in and used magic on the bastard, it would be to make him pay), and Severus didn’t want to be around the dementors. No one did, admittedly, but the thought of being locked up in Azkaban, surrounded by criminals (most, if not all of them insane), and feeling the dementors stealing every happy memory away piece by piece…he shuddered. No, definitely not.

But Black was gone, and that meant that he didn’t need to worry about being talked into going to Potter Manor, to be talked into telling someone about his weakness. His father was out at the pub, wouldn’t likely be back for another two hours, and his mother was going to be working for most of the night. That gave him time to try to find something to eat before finishing up his chores. His back was still sore, far from being healed, and he wanted to try to avoid another beating until it was healed. He knew that was a futile hope, Tobias was always violent when he was in his cups, but it was one of the simple goals he had made for himself long ago and it was one he had kept to.

He had hoped, when he had his first burst of accidental magic, that his mother would be pleased. She was a witch, he knew that, but she seemed ashamed. She had urged him not to tell his father and he complied, as even in those days Tobias scared him, but he couldn’t keep it hidden forever. The final straw came when he got his Hogwarts letter. He sensed that his mother would have preferred it if he was too weak magically to be accepted into Hogwarts, but that wasn’t the case.

He was at the top of his year, one of the best students in his year. He was the best in his Potions class, and only second in Defense to James Potter (who planned to go on to be an Auror like his father). He was either first or second in all of his other classes, although Potions was still his favorite class. He planned to get his Mastery in Potions, although he doubted he would ever have the patience to teach. Unless he had particularly apt pupils who had high standards and were disinclined to fool around in his class, Severus knew he would never be happy as a teacher. He would research potions, improving existing ones and creating new ones.

He needed to stay at the top of his year at Hogwarts for that to work, however, which was why he studied so much. He would never be able to afford his Mastery training on his own, but if his grades were good enough he might be able to get a scholarship. It would be helpful if he could practice his brewing, or any of his magic, over the summer, but he knew that wouldn’t ever be possible. His mother ignored any mention of magic anymore, and his dad still thought that he could beat the magic out of his odd son. Neither of them would be pleased to find Severus setting up a cauldron in his bedroom, or practicing the simpler spells he had learned at Hogwarts.

Severus shook his head, deciding to focus on the here and now. There was no point in whining about things he couldn’t have, it would just make him consider things that weren’t wise.

He had heard a few of the older students whispering about their meetings with him, with the Dark Lord. He heard them talking about how he would teach muggles their place, that he would ensure that the wizarding world changed for the better. He wasn’t interested in the Dark Lord’s pureblood supremacy, it didn’t benefit him much, but there was one muggle he would dearly love to make pay. If he knew that he could get away with it, he would have likely stood up to Tobias years ago, but he knew that if he ever rebelled against his father, it wouldn’t be verbal. It would be physical, and magical, and he would wind up in a cell in Azkaban. The Dark Lord would make sure he was free from punishment for that, but he would also expect Severus to serve him, to torture and kill innocent muggles. He wasn’t ready to go that far, not now.

 _Damn Black_ , Severus thought finishing off his dinner. He should have never let the other boy stay, should have never helped him. Now he was second-guessing his decisions, wondering if he should have left with Black, and he didn’t have time for that. It didn’t matter anyway, Black was long gone and likely would forget about this fairly quickly.

Of course, the moment that Severus convinced himself of that was ruined when someone knocked on the door.


	10. Talking to Severus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this story and for all your reviews :) I'm sorry if I don't get to answer them all, but I do read all of them, and some of them give me good ideas for where to go with this story. I'm glad I was able to post this so soon, although I don't know how regular my updates will continue to be.

Severus went to open the door, wondering who would be knocking, especially this late at night. No one came to visit, and if it was his dad he would have just barged in, sending the door slamming into the wall. His mother wouldn’t have knocked either, and she was working right now anyway, so it couldn’t be her.

He sighed when he opened the door, seeing Sirius and the man he assumed was Potter Sr. standing on the other side. Why, when he had sent the annoying boy away, why would he return to try to convince him, yet again, to stay at Potter Manor? Gryffindor’s truly never did give up. He wasn’t sure whether he should find the Black heir’s persistence amusing or irritating.

“Severus Snape?” Charlus questioned, looking at the slim, dark haired boy. Yes, the child showed the signs to back up everything Sirius had said (he had his doubts, but it was nice to know that Sirius did know that some things shouldn’t be joked about), and he could see annoyance in the boy’s dark eyes. “I’m Charlus Potter. You likely know my son James.” It was more tactful than saying that his son had very likely bullied the poor boy, and he was curious as to how the Slytherin would speak of his son.

“We are in the same year at Hogwarts, as is Black,” Severus said neutrally. He wanted this man to tell him what he was doing here. Black was unusually quiet, something that unnerved Severus. A quiet Black, in his experience, wasn’t good. When Black was quiet, he was usually plotting some way to make trouble for Slytherins, Severus in particular.

Charlus knew that the boy wouldn’t have much patience for small talk, if for no other reason than he likely had chores he needed to accomplish. He decided to cut straight to the point. “Sirius told me about how your father treats you.” Better not to directly address it as abuse, not yet. He could tell this boy was proud, and addressing that he knew that the boy’s father beat him would just make him close up. He likely thought he should be able to take care of himself, not needing anyone else to help him. It was likely part of the reason (a small part, as he was sure most of it was because of how Sirius and James had treated the boy) that Severus had declined Sirius’ offer.

Severus had expected that, but it still stung. Why couldn’t Black keep from running his mouth, just this once? No, the Gryffindor had to go and blab his secrets to the first person he saw. He scowled darkly. “Of course he did,” he muttered, stepping back so the others could enter the house. He closed the door behind them, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m not going to your Manor, sir. It is a kind offer, but I’m afraid I have to decline.” Politeness was necessary. He didn’t know this man, didn’t know how he would react if Severus told him, point blank, to leave. His father would take his belt to him if he was disrespectful, and when he was younger his mother had tried to instill manners into him.

Sirius winced at how annoyed Severus looked. He thought he was doing the right thing, Mr. Potter could help, but Severus was still being stubborn. He hoped Mr. Potter would have some idea to convince Severus to get out of here. Even if they had to kidnap Severus, Sirius didn’t want to leave him here. No one deserved this, he knew that, but he didn’t know how to convince Severus to trust him. He wouldn’t pick on him for this, didn’t Severus know that?

Charlus nodded when Severus said that he didn’t want to go home with them. He didn’t expect anything different, and no matter how polite the boy was, Charlus knew that all he wanted right now was for them to leave, and for Sirius to have never told him about the boy’s home life. Now that he knew, however, he wanted to help the boy. Convincing him to accept the help might be a little more difficult.

He knew that the young man would never agree to go to Potter Manor, and he couldn’t blame him. While that would be the easiest solution for Charlus, he knew it wasn’t best for the boy. James, Sirius, and Severus, as well as James’ other two friends, hadn’t gotten along. This had been going on since they started Hogwarts, from what he understood, and they were going to start their sixth year soon. No, even with Sirius’ suddenly changed perception, there was no way that Severus would be comfortable there.

However, there was more than one way to skin a cat, as the muggles said.

His eyes narrowed as he thought, listening to Severus and Sirius bickering, Sirius trying to convince Severus go to the Manor and Severus resisting. They were both stubborn, but it was clear that Severus was going to win that argument. If the argument was changed, however…

If they could offer to get Severus out of here, without having him come to Potter Manor, Charlus thought that the boy would agree to that. Rooms at the Leaky Cauldron weren’t expensive (although he knew that it was currently out of the boy’s means). If he paid for Severus to stay there, and gave the boy a few galleons in allowance each week for food and necessities, he thought that might work.

With how Severus had been raised, he knew that the boy would likely be able to make a few galleons last for months, lessons from a life where he had little and had no means to get anything better, and he could tell the boy was responsible.

The only obstacle he could see was trying to convince the boy to agree. He still had his pride, after all, and Charlus would need to word this carefully so it didn’t sound like he pitied him. Sighing as he watched the argument between the two boys taper off, he resolved to mention it. He was a Gryffindor, after all, and they never backed down from a challenge.

 _Besides_ , his optimistic side thought, _perhaps the boy will actually allow you to file a report on that muggle, once he learns to trust you._


	11. Considerations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very sorry this took so long. I've been really busy, I did the exchangelock thing on tumblr too and that took a bit of my time, and then when I finally had time to write I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted this to go. This turned out to be a filler chapter more than anything.

Charlus considered how to phrase his request. He knew the Slytherin boy would never want to be in his debt or accept charity (which would be how he saw Charlus’ actions no matter what the older man said at this point), but if he was the one doing a favor…Charlus’ eyes narrowed in thought.

If he knew what subjects the boy was doing well in, that could be used. He wasn’t the best at potion making, relying on Potions Masters who worked for apothecaries, as did most of the wizarding world. Potions could be deadly if you made them wrong, sometimes only a single ingredient taking it from healing to deadly. If the boy proved to be good at potions, Charlus could use that as an excuse, having the boy make whatever potions they would need (anything that wasn’t Master level, of course) in return for room and board at the Leaky Cauldron. He could do the same for most other subjects, although he’d be lying about a fair few of them. He was good at Transfiguration and Defense, unsurprisingly, and he was also rather gifted at Charms. He was decent at Ancient Runes, but only out of necessity.

He was getting a bit ahead of himself, but it was nice to have a plan to help the boy. He didn’t want to leave him here. He’d seen more cases of child abuse than he ever wanted to, even though it was rarer in the wizarding world than the muggle one. He didn’t want Severus to end up like some of the other children, the ones they couldn’t save. The ones whose abusers were eventually arrested, but at a too high price. He didn’t want to see the slim boy in front of him become nothing more than a memory, another innocent that he couldn’t save. The perpetrator this time wasn’t a Dark Lord, but a drunken muggle who saw his son’s talents as a curse, because the boy wasn’t ‘normal’. He wondered, briefly, if what the elder Snape would consider ‘normal’ would be a man precisely like himself, a drunk who takes out his frustrations with his fists on his family.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a sound outside. Loud, drunken singing, obviously down the road but coming closer. Looking over at Severus, he noticed the boy was tense, and he thought he could see a gleam of fear in his dark eyes. There was little time to puzzle over that, however, as Severus had grabbed his arm and Sirius’ as well and tugged on them with all of the strength in his slim body.

“Move,” Severus hissed, pulling on their arms until Sirius and Charlus had no choice but to follow him upstairs. “Now stay here and don’t make any noise. You’ll just make it worse!” He said nothing else, turning to hurry downstairs to start sweeping the kitchen. He had cleaned it earlier, and he had actually managed to finish all of his chores, but his father would see him ‘lounging around’ as an excuse to punish him. He hoped that the two wizards upstairs would have sense enough to keep quiet. His father seemed to be in a good mood, but Severus knew how quickly that could turn, especially when anything related to magic was mentioned.

Charlus looked around the room he and Sirius had been shoved in. Severus’ bedroom, by the looks of things. There was nothing that suggested that a wizard lived here, but opening the door to the small closet revealed Severus’ trunk and all of his things for Hogwarts. Glancing at the contents of the trunk, not wanting to snoop more than necessary, he could see that everything was secondhand and most of the clothes had been patched at least once. It wasn’t difficult to see that Severus wasn’t wealthy, and he assumed that part of the reason for the sorry state of Severus’ belongings was due to his father’s habit. It is difficult to have enough money for clothes and school supplies when the money is being drank away daily.

He shook his head, looking over at Sirius. The boy had taken a seat on the bed, looking out of the room’s small window. “That was his father?” he asked, getting a nod from Sirius in answer. He wasn’t going to leave the boy to face the muggle on his own, but at the moment revealing himself to Severus’ father could make things worse. If the man had no plans to beat his son, which could be changed by the arrival of another, obviously magical, person. And, as of yet, he had no proof of the abuse.

Severus wouldn’t admit to it, and even though he could bring the case to the Wizengamot as it is, he wanted to get Severus to trust him. He doubted that many people cared about what Severus wanted or didn’t want, and he wanted to try to get the boy to see that his best chance for survival was leaving this place. He wanted to talk to Severus’ mother as well, as even though she might not be a victim yet, her husband could still take his rages out on her once Severus was gone. His main priority, at the moment, was Severus, but he wanted to get the muggle behind bars (he wanted to throw him in Azkaban, but a muggle prison would need to do), and he might need Severus’ mother’s testimony as well. Muggle courts were odd, after all.

He decided to wait, for now, until Severus came back. If he heard anything, anything at all, that pointed to the muggle abusing him (and he doubted that the muggle would try to be quiet, Sirius had said he heard him from the street, after all), then he would go after Severus. Until that point, however, he didn’t want to make things worse. Severus would stay here until they convinced him otherwise, after all, and he didn’t want to bring the muggle’s wrath down on Severus’ head if he wouldn’t be here to stop it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Halloween, since I can't afford to give out candy this year, I decided to do something else and update each of my WIPs on this site.

They weren’t in the room very long, although it felt like ages to Sirius, when the trouble started.

It was nothing obvious, at first. The muggle had still been singing loudly, drunkenly, when he entered the house, and both wizards were surprised when it stopped. Sirius hoped that it meant that the muggle had fallen asleep, or rather, passed out drunk. It would be better for Severus if he had. Even though he knew that Mr. Potter wouldn’t let the muggle hurt Severus, it was still better for the other teen if there wasn’t even a threat of violence tonight.

The next sign that something was wrong was the voices. The muggle’s voice was the loudest, of course. Loud, still clearly drunk, and infinitely amused. Sirius and Charlus looked at each other. Amusement wasn’t something Sirius had seen the muggle experience. Severus’ father had been angry and aggressive when Sirius had seen him. Amusement hadn’t factored into it at all. What was Severus doing that amused him?

It was hard to understand what precisely Severus’ father was saying, as the man was clearly drunk, but the tone said enough. It began to change, from amusement to anger, and that put both wizards on edge. Severus’ voice was noticeably absent, although they could occasionally hear murmured replies. Severus’ tone, from what little they could hear, was respectful and quietly worried.

It was hard to interpret the muggle’s words through all of the slurring, making Sirius wonder how Severus understood, and they could barely hear Severus’ replies as he spoke so softly. From what Sirius could gather, the muggle was asking Severus about his chores. He knew that Severus had finished with everything, he had even helped before they left for London, but that logic may not hold for the drunk.

As the man’s words became louder, Severus’ replies became softer, and it sounded more resigned than respectful at this point. The drunk was trying to find something, anything, to justify a beating.

 _Any excuse will serve a tyrant_ , Sirius remembered reading once before, and it applied now.

“We have to do something,” he said desperately, looking at Charlus. “He’s going to start hitting Severus soon, we have to get him out of here.”

Charlus didn’t want to take the boy against his will, that would make everything more difficult later, but when he heard the sound of flesh smacking against flesh, he couldn’t wait any longer. They would take Severus away from here, although not to Potter Manor as Sirius wanted, and the rest could be sorted out afterwards. Right now, what mattered was getting Severus away from his father before the man could harm Severus again.

~

Severus had hoped that tonight would be a good night.

His father had come home from the pub in high spirits, and he had hoped that he would remain happy and just go up to his room to pass out. It had happened before, when his father had had a particularly good night, when whatever card games he played that night had paid off and he’d won, or people had bought him drinks.

He continued to sweep even as he heard his father lumbering to the kitchen, not willing to risk the good mood by looking idle. Even when all of his chores were done, if his father saw him not working, the man took it upon himself to make Severus pay for his idleness. Granted, looking busy wasn’t always guaranteed to stop him, but Severus was smart enough to try anything that he could to avoid another beating if he could.

For a few minutes, Severus thought he would be fine, but then his father realized that they didn’t have any beer in the house. His father had finished off the last of it last night, and he had forgotten to buy more or send Severus to buy more. Severus told him that, respectfully despite the fact that he wanted to snap that his father had drank more than enough already and that he wished that it would just stop.

And then it started. Verbally, at first, as always. The insults slid off of him by now, although a few did find their mark. He knew better than to correct his father, any hope of avoiding a beating would be gone then. His father hated ‘disrespectful brats’ and backtalk, and any time that Severus had stood up to him, it had always gone badly for him.

Instead, he kept his replies soft and respectful, but as his father got louder, the respectfulness was replaced by resignation. There would be no way to avoid a beating tonight.

Briefly, his thoughts flashed to Sirius and the elder Potter, up in his bedroom. They would be able to hear all of this, he knew, the walls were rather thin. They would have heard everything his father had said, and they would hear everything his father did.

Sirius had seen his father beating him once, apparently, but that didn’t mean that he wanted the man to see or hear it again. Nor did he want the elder Potter to see or hear. He knew the man wanted to talk him into leaving his parents’ house, but he honestly had nowhere else to go. If he did, he would have left long ago. He didn’t know the elder Potter enough to trust him, and his trust in Sirius was fragile at best. He couldn’t trust that they would be able to help him, that he would never have to return.

He took off his shirt when his father commanded it, baring the wounds that his father had inflicted the other night. He had hoped to have at least a week between beatings, it was better when that happened, but he honestly wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t been able to manage that.

He watched his father taking off his belt, thinking that he would never be able to wear a belt himself after watching his father use his this way for years, but before his father could even raise the belt, Charlus Potter and Sirius Black rushed into the room.

Everyone froze for a moment, and Severus shut his eyes. His father would be furious now, but for the moment all he felt was relief.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
